Paralympic Team trials coming to Charlotte in 2016

Charlotte will be the site of the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team trials for cycling, swimming, track and field, U.S. Paralympics announced Thursday.

Venues will include sites in University City, the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center and the Irwin Belk Complex at Johnson C. Smith University. U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said Charlotte’s sports venues, accommodation, accessibility and transportation options led to the city’s selection.

Partners for Parks will be the local organization committee for the competition, set to run June 30 through July 2, with a celebration wrapping things up on July 3. U.S. Paralympics said the three-day trials will feature over 400 athletes vying for a spot on the U.S. team that will compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The 2016 Paralympics is expected to feature approximately 4,500 athletes with physical impairments from more than 165 countries.

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